THE FINAL whistle has blown on five-a-side football in Trafford.

Trafford's Soccer Dome, home to the borough's five-a-side Powerleague, will close for good early next year.

The five-a-side football pitch operator in Trafford Way, near the Trafford Centre, will close down on January 31, 2019.

Cllr Mike Cordingley, of Gorse Hill, said: "The loss of any facilities available for team sport is a concern.

"It's very much a part of healthy living and socialising for all ages. I'm saddened that it's going."

The venue, which shares premises with the DW Fitness gym, will be converted into a new flagship indoor adventure centre.

The gym is not expected to be affected by the Soccer Dome closure.

Adventure centre, Project Canyon, will bring outdoor sports – such as caving, canyoning, canoeing, deep-water surfing, ice and rock climbing, and zip wiring – to the indoor space.

The new Trafford Centre attraction will be the the flagship centre in the UK and will create over 300 full-time and part-time jobs.

More than 25 teams compete in the Trafford Powerleague every week, and the centre has been a popular destination for children's birthday parties.

It is one of 13 Soccer Domes to close nationally after the company, Patron Capital Partners, suffered financial difficulties.

The sites will shut through a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) - an insolvency measure used to close under-performing units.

Powerleague said the move was a 'last resort' and said it would go bust without the restructuring.

The company said: "The CVA has been designed to deliver a refinanced, restructured business without which Powerleague would not have a viable future."

The Trafford Powerleague closure follows three years of declining revenues and failed attempts to raise sufficient funds to meet lease obligations.

Powerleague chief executive Christian Rose said: "Closing sites is a difficult decision to make and we are supporting those personally affected.

"These significant changes are essential to a sustainable future for Powerleague and I am committed to our long-term turnaround plan."

Deloitte is handling the CVA, which will require the backing of 75 per cent of creditors, including landlords.

If approved, Mr Rose will then oversee a 'long-term business plan' with new capital investment provided through Patron Capital and its

partners.

Daniel Butters, partner at Deloitte, said: "The CVA, if agreed, will provide a stable platform upon which management's turnaround plan can be delivered."